


Through the Dark

by Supernatural_Leo



Category: One Direction
Genre: Anxiety, Anxiety Disorder, Fandom, Fucked Up, Hurt Niall, Innocent Niall, Kidnapped, M/M, Narry - Freeform, Niall-centric, Panic Attacks, Social Anxiety, idk either man, im just a lonely kid who has no social life, niall has panic attacks, one direction - Freeform, originally written on Wattpad, please read this shitty book
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-05-24 20:59:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14962076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Supernatural_Leo/pseuds/Supernatural_Leo
Summary: "why is he so scared?""Thats what a severe social anxiety disorder looks like Harry. Just don't talk to him and he'll warm up to ya.""i'm going to go say hi."--------------------------lowercase intendedNarryContains swear wordsPretty cliche





	1. Chapter 1

Harry sighed as he walked into the new school. He has been kicked out of five other schools in the past two years. He left the last school because he got into a fight. The other kid had it coming to him though. He was picking on a kid cause he was gay. 

No one believed Harry when he said he didn't start the fight. Everyone sees his tattoos and judges. 

The curly haired lad strolled up to the front desk. An old lady sat there, her glasses at the edge of her nose. Frankly, she reminded Harry of the creepy monster woman in that Disney movie. 

"How can I help you?" A forced smile was on Monster Lady's face.

"I'm Harry Styles. A senior. I need my schedule and that stuff." He replied. 

The creepy lady, who's name tag said Carren, rolled her eyes and typed something on the computer. 

"Here is your schedule and locker information. A student guide will be here in five minutes. Take a seat and wait." 

Harry sat down in the creaky green chair. His fingers tapped on the wooden armrests. The sound of papers shuffling filled the air. The room smelt like stale crackers. 

The office door flew open and a student walked in. His brown hair was slightly messy. He walked up the desk.

"Sorry I'm late Carren. I was calming Niall down. So, where is the new kid?" 

"He's right there. Just stay with him all day and show him around." Carren said with a small nod.

The brown haired boy turned on his heal and locked eyes with Harry. He shuffled over and stood in front of him.

"Hey mate. I'm Liam Payne. You must be Harry. Ready to go to class?" Liam said while offering Harry his hand. 

Harry nodded and shook hands with the boy. The two left the office and went into the empty hallway. 

"Home room just started. Your locker is right there." Liam said while pointing to a dented locker. 

Harry looked at it with distaste. Even though the school sucks, he didn't think the lockers would. 

Liam looked at the schedule and turned the dial. The locker opened and Harry put his bag in it. He pulled out his binder with his long fingers. 

The metal door shut with a gentle push.

"Follow me. Mr. Kolar is pretty chill. Normally he just has us take some notes. Some of the other teachers are plain bastards though. You have to make sure to watch out for Miss Bard. She's the band teacher." Liam announced.

"Good thing I'm not in band then." 

The two teenagers continued on in silence. The only sound being the soft pat of shoes on floor. They walked for about two minutes.

Liam abruptly stopped in front of a beat up door. His slender hand reached for the handle and pushed down. The door opened and the pair walked into the class. 

"Hello Mr. Kolar. This is Harry, the new kid." Liam introduced.

"Thankyou Mr. Payne. I will talk to him. Right now, I believe someone needs to be calmed down. Come back up here when he's better." The teacher said.

Liam's eyes widened and he quickly turned. Harry watched as his new friend walked over to a small boy. The curly haired male gasped. The small boy was simply beautiful.

Everything about him was beautiful. His bleached blonde hair, baby blue eyes, and rosy cheeks. Even with the tears and snot running down his face, he was gorgeous. 

A body in front of the blonde brought Harry out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Liam making his way back towards the front.  The puppy eyed boy came to a stop next to Harry. 

Harry leaned over and whispered in Liam's ear. 

"who is that?" 

"That's Niall." Liam replied.

"why is he so scared?" 

"That's what a severe social anxiety disorder looks like Harry. Just don't talk to him and he'll warm up to ya."

"i'm gonna go say hi." 

"No Harry don't do that!" Liam whisper-shouted as he raced after Harold.

It was too late though. Harry was already at Nialls desk. He crouched down by the boy and said hello. 

Niall looked up and his blue eyes enlarged. His breathing sped up and his face grew flushed. Before Liam could intervene, the boy sprinted out of the class. 

"fuck." Harry said.

"Fuck is correct. C'mon we have to go find him. Mr. Kolar we're going to find Niall!" And with that the two boys booked it out. 

"Where do you think he went?" The curly haired 17 year old asked.

"I'm going to say the library. No one is ever in there and it's his safe place. Normally he's in there." 

"Why is he so scared though? I know social anxiety but, why? Isn't social anxiety just being shy and nervous about public speaking?" Harry asked confused. He wasn't trying to be offensive, just curious.

Liam sighed.

"Okay, for one, social anxiety is in no way just 'being shy'. Never say that again. It is a real and serious disorder. And no, Niall has not always been like this. He used to be so happy. He's always struggled with anxiety, but never this bad. When he was fourteen, his biological dad kidnapped him. He traumatized the poor kid. Niall was so scared when they found him. He would scream when anyone came close to him. He was even scared of me for a while. Pretty much everything makes him nervous now." 

"Woah." Harry was speechless. No one deserved to go through what this innocent boy has. 

"Ya it's pretty messed up. We're here. I need you to stay out here please. I'll wave to you if it's okay for you to come in." 

Harry watched as Liam disappeared into the room full of books. A determined smirk grew on his face. He was going to make this traumatized boy smile again.


	2. Jelly Babies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam goes to find Niall. Harry is really worried about the small blonde. Liam discovers something about Harry that he never would have expected.

Liam briskly walked towards the far corner of the large room. He saw Niall curled into himself on the ground. The puppy eyed boy slowed his pace as he approached the boy. Making sure that Niall knew he was there. 

Liam crouched down to the blondes level and gently rubbed his arm. He sat next to him and pulled the Irish lad to his chest. 

"Shh, Niall. It's alright. I know that was scary. You're safe. You're alright. It's okay I'm right here and I'm not leaving. I need you to breathe for me bud. Just copy my breathing." 

Niall let out a cry as air started to finally fill his lungs. The poor lad felt like he was drowning. His thoughts were so loud and persistent, it overwhelmed him. Liam felt his heart break watching him.

"There you go. Just keep breathing for me Ni. That was Harry, the new kid. I know he looks scary and mean, but he is actually really nice. He got very worried when you ran off. Do you want to try saying hi?" Liam asked gently.

"N-no!" The blondes breathing started to speed up once again. 

"Ok it's alright! We don't have to meet him just yet. How about we go get some snacks from the vending machine instead?" 

Niall nodded and Liam hefted him up to his feet. Hand in hand, they walked down to the vending machines. Leaving a worried Harry by the library.

Liam handed Niall £2, which he inserted into the money slot. The Payne boy watched as Niall pressed the numbers to get a bag of Jelly Babies. (I live for Jelly Babies)

Liam chuckled slightly as the blonde haired boy raced to grab the pack of sweets. Liam took the bag from Niall and opened it for him. 

The pair left the vending machines, and walked back to the library. Liam stood in surprise. 

Harry was still standing at the doors. His green eyes wide with worry and confusion. Liam quickly walked Niall back to the classroom. 

“Niall I’ll be right back. I just have to go do something really quickly.” 

The blonde nodded his head slightly and pulled out a book to read. 

Liam sped back towards the library. There, still as tall as always, was Harry. Emerald eyes wide with concern. He was frowning and looked deep in thought. 

“What are you doing here? Why didn’t you go back to class?” Liam asked.

“Is he okay?” Harry ignored the question. 

“What?”

“Niall. Is he- is he okay?” The curly haired male replied. 

“Niall? Yeah. Yeah, no he’s fine. Why do you ask?” 

“I’m just... I don’t know. He’s really interesting. I just like, you know, feel like I have to protect him. I want to get to know him.” Harry quietly said. 

Liam let out a sigh. He brought his hand up to his head and threaded his fingers through his hair. 

“I can try to talk to him for you. You freaked him out pretty badly but, I’ll see what I can do.” 

Harry stood there for a moment. Suddenly, Liam had his arms full of the boy. Liam stepped back in shock. He certainly didn’t think Harry would be the cuddly type. Guess he thought wrong. 

Harry looked Liam in the eyes. The taller lad let go of the hug.

“Thankyou Liam. Really. It means a lot to me.” The boy said.

“Yeah um... no problem Haz. Lets head back to class now, yeah? We don’t want Mr. Kolar to be mad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not really sure if I like this chapter. I feel like my writing style is worse in this than in the first chapter. Please tell me if you like it. I originally had this on Wattpad but I decided to switch it over to ao3. I will gladly take any advice you guys have! If you guys want to see anything happen in the book please comment and I will try to write it in.


	3. Studying in the Library

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once the school day finishes, Harry decides to go to the library. He discovers that Liam and Niall are there studying.

The rest of the day went by uneventful for Harry. He went along to all his classes physically, but not mentally. The Cheshire lad was too busy thinking about the blonde baby. 

He really did try to pay attention in class. He could even scarcely remember how to say good morning in French. That’s about the only thing he could pay attention to. The adorable Irish lad just would not leave his thoughts. 

Harry couldn’t help but think about cuddling Niall. To hold him in his arms. To pet Nialls hair while kissing him gently on the forehead. To whisper sweet things in his ear while he sleeps.

The final bell brought Harry out of his thoughts. He gathered his books and bookbag, and walked out of the classroom. 

His mum wasn’t supposed to be home for a while. She was at her new work. Gemma was at uni back in Cheshire. 

“I might as well go to the library. I’ve been meaning to get more books.” He quietly said to himself. 

The lad proceeded to walk up to the library. He opened the door and stepped in. He looked around until his eyes met a familiar face. Liam. 

Harold quickly walked over to the puppy eyed boy. He stopped when he noticed a head of blonde laying on Liam’s lap.

“Hey Harry.” The Brittish boy said.

“Oh..hi Liam. What are you two doing here?” 

“I could ask you the same. I always bring Niall back to his place after school. His mother is working though and he’s not allowed to be home alone. I thought we could just study for a while until I can bring him home.” 

 

“Oh. Ok. Mind if I sit here with you for a while? My mum is working and my sister is at uni. I don’t exactly want to be alone right now.” Harry explained. 

“Of course I don’t mind! I was getting ready to leave though. You could come with me to drop Niall off? I was thinking of dropping by the cafe to grab some tea really quickly.”

“Yeah I’m up for it. Do you need help carrying anything?” The curly haired boy helped. 

“If you could get Nialls backpack that would be great. I can’t carry him and two book bags.”

Oh. So Liam is planning on carrying the sleeping boy. 

“Are you sure he won’t mind being carried?” Harry was skeptical. 

“No he’s fine. Quite enjoys it actually. He likes being held and knowing someone’s there. Well, let’s go. Follow me to my car.”

The three set off to Liam’s gold 2005 Chevy Cobalt. Harry opened the backseat door for Liam. Liam’s gently slid the sleeping boy into the backseat. He let the blonde curl up into the fabric and skillfully slid a seatbelt on him. 

The two older boys took their seats in the front. Liam inserted the keys and they were off. They sat in silence for a few minutes, until Liam decided to break the ice. 

“So...what’s your story?” 

“Uh... well I was born in Cheshire on February 1st, 2001.” 

“Youre only 17? I thought you were older. I’m eighteen. I got held back in second grade. Apparently I suck at maths. So what else?” Liam curiously replied. 

“I have an older sister named Gemma. She’s twenty and still lives in Cheshire. My father left my mother when she was pregnant with me. He was a douche. I live with my mum and her dog. She works at a foods market. I work at a bakery. My favorite colour is green. I prefer not to label my sexuality, but I like both girls and boys. I like to sing and write songs. My full name is Harry Edward Styles.” Harry conversed. 

“You’re an interesting person Harry Edward Styles.” 

A quiet ‘Liam’ was heard from the backseat. 

Both boys turned towards the back, luckily they were at a red light.

“Hey Ni bear. We’re gonna swing by to get some tea at the cafe. I assume you want the normal?” Liam softly spoke. 

Niall cautiously nodded. Not taking his eyes off of Harry once. 

The trio eventually pulled into the drive through cafe. Liam gave his and Nialls order, and Harry got his own. 

The worker handed them all the drinks with a smile. Harry got his strawberry tea, Liam got his Caramel Frappe with two shots of coffee, and Niall got Peach boba tea. 

“Ok babe, we’re going to drop you off at home now. Your mum should be back about now I reckon.” 

Harry looked into the rear view mirror to see Niall slightly nod his head. The blonde looked down at his lap with flushed cheeks. 

It took all of Harry’s strength to not coo out loud. Niall was just too damn cute. 

Harold turned forwards and put his focus on his phone. Niall didn’t freak out at the sight of him. That’s a start. The rest of the way to Nialls house had Harry smiling like a bloody idiot. Oh god he’s in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyy. Sorry this took so long. I honestly had the chapter written and it got deleted. So I had to restart the whole thing. And then I forgot to post it. Oops. Please tel me what you want to see happen in the future.


	4. Switched at Birth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part of Liam’s home life is revealed. Liam and Niall have a sleepover and talk about Harry.

Liam sighed as he ran his hand through his caramel hair. He had already dropped Harry off at his home and was currently pulling in to his driveway. Liam turned his beloved car off and opened the door. 

"Liam, are you home?" Liam's mother shouted from the kitchen. 

"Yeah ma. I'm right here." The eighteen year old said as he walked into the kitchen his mother was in.

Liam took in the sight before him. Cupcake batter was splattered all around the kitchen. His mother was standing there with a crazed look in her eyes. She was high off her arse, once again.

"How was school kiddo?"

"Pretty good. I made friends with the new kid. C'mon mom. Let's get you to bed while I clean this up."

"Listen Liam. I need some money. I didn't quite have enough this week and I need to pay double next week. I just need a few pounds. You would do that for me, right? I did raise you after all." The loopy woman spoke.

"We'll talk about this later mom. I'll order some pizza for you and get you some water. Get some rest mum."

Liam shook his head in disappointment. It's not like she was a bad mother, she just had an addiction. She was one of the nicest people he had ever known. It was hard to see her always high. Liam keeps trying to get her to stop but, nothing ever changes. His mother really does try to stop. It's just too hard for her. 

Liams phone lit up with a notification. 

From: Nialler

do u want to sleepover tonight? 

Liam smiled softly at the text.

To: Nialler

sure ni. ill be over in twenty. have to make sure my mum is fine by herself first. 

While Niall wasn't fully aware of Liam's mother, he knew that she had some problems. Liam never really spoke about her, and Liam was glad that Niall respected that. Talking about your problems doesn't always solve them. 

After grabbing his overnight bag, and checking that his mother had food, Liam got in his golden car and drove off. He would never in a million years turn down Niall. He loved hanging out with his best mate. And if it meant that he also could get away from his mum for a day, he was in. 

The British lad knocked on Niall's front door. He waited for the door to crack open a bit and saw bright blue eyes staring at him. The door opened the rest of the way and Liam stepped in.

He fell back with an oof as Niall launched himself at him. The blonde kid looked up at Liam with a hopeful look in his eyes.

"You want to tell me something, bud? Let's go to the couch and you can tell me whatever is on your mind." 

The pair walked over to the tan coloured couch. Liam sat down and Niall snuggled up next to him. Liam had a protective arm around Niall and the blonde rested his head on his mates chest. 

"Now, what was it you wanted to tell me? "

"Um, I-uh. I like H-harry." Niall stuttered out.

"Woah, what? Like like? Are you sure Niall?"

"I- I think so. I know I don't even know him but, I think- I think I really like him."

"Wow. Okay. How about I give you his number and we can try saying hi? I know its scary but everything will be okay. If you really like him, you should try talking to him." Liam spoke quietly. 

Niall sat and though for a moment, before hesitantly nodding against Liam's chest. Both boys took out their phones and opened their contacts.

Liam gave him Harry's phone number and shut off his phone. 

"What do I say? What if- what if he hates me? What if he thinks I'm a freak? I mean I- I kind of am one. Oh my god he's- he's never going to want to talk to me a-again. What if he tells everyone how weird I am? This- this is a bad idea. It's a v-" Niall's ranting was cut off.

"Hey, don't worry love. Harry will be so happy that you are texting him. Everything will turn out okay. Start small. Just say hello. He won't think you're weird, don't worry." Liam reassured the pale boy.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah o-okay. I can-I can do this. It's just one text." 

The Irish lad opened the messages app and typed in Harry's name. His finger hovered over the text bubble for a few seconds. He typed in a small message and considered sending it.

"Is that okay? I don't sound too d-desperate right?"

"No Nialler. Its perfect." Liam replied.

Niall took in a deep, shuddery breath, before pressing the blue send button. 

To: Harry

hello. this is niall. 

"Oh my god! I just texted someone! Liam I- oh my god. My ma is gonna be so happy! I t-texted someone new!" Niall squealed out in excitement. 

"Yeah good job, mate! See, that wasn't too hard, was it?" 

"Um...it was terrifying! Oh gosh. What if he hates me now? I shouldn't have done this. L-Liam help. I c-can't- I can't breathe. I don't-I need...L-liam!"

"Shh, easy Niall. Take a deep breath. It was only one text. He doesn't hate you. Let's watch some Netflix, yeah? We'll wait for him to reply and in the mean time we can cuddle some." Liam calmly spoke.

The taller lad pressed the power button on the t.v and opened Netflix. He selected Switched at Birth. It was the pair's favorite show to binge. They were currently on season four. Daphne sure has some problems this season. 

Halfway through the episode, Niall let out a squeak.

"He texted back, Liam!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I just realized this app does not allow me to type in bold.


	5. Harry’s here?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: flashback/kidnapping/violence

~flashback~

"Hello, NiNi. Did you have fun while I was gone? I brought your favorite toy!" Tony Horan taunted. 

Niall let out a muffled whimper. His hands were tied behind him tightly, effectively keeping him restrained to the boiler. The boy's legs were tied together in front of him, and a blue ball gag made him silent. Niall's whole body was sore from being stuck in that position for so long. His jaw ached from being held open constantly. The poor kid hadn't eaten anything in four days. He was only allowed water and a small piece of bread occasionally. 

This was the same routine everyday. Tony, Niall's father, would torture him for as long as he wanted to. After the boy had screamed his throat raw, Mr. Horan left him in the small dark room until the next torture session. 

Niall let out a shrill cry as the whip landed on his bare thigh, leaving a nasty red mark in it's path. 

"You deserve this, you whore. If you had never been born, Maura and I would still be married. You don't deserve her. You don't deserve to live! I should have done this a long time ago, fag." Tony growled.

Sobs flew out of Niall's mouth. Tears fell down his face like rain during a January storm. 

~end of flashback~

"Niall. Breathe, baby. Breathe. C'mon. Wake up for me darling." A soothing voice said. 

Somebody was shaking Niall's shoulders. The hands gripping him were large and warm to the touch, definitely not Liam's. Niall was too far gone to care. He only knew that he was scared and needed comfort. 

"Niall, babe. I need you to breathe with me. You're okay. We're in your house and we're safe. In. Out."

Salty tears were staining the shirt that belonged to the person holding him. Tan arms were wrapped around the blonde protectively. Niall could faintly feel vibrations, indicating that his protector was talking.

"You went to school today, hm? First period you had science with Mr. Kolar. After classes you and Liam studied in the library. Well, you took a nap instead. I bet you were tired, sleepy boy. You slept all the way to the café. Now, were at home. You're laying here in my arms and you are perfectly safe. It's ok, boo." The low voice ranted.

Niall could finally hear what the voice was saying. He slowly melted into the embrace around him. The only thing on his mind was listening to what the voice had to say.

"Hey, Ha- what the hell is going on here? I walk away for five minutes and now Niall is clinging to you like you're his boyfriend."

"Um, I think he had a panic attack or something. He was crying, but he was still sleeping. I didn't really know what to do so I just like held him. I think he's okay now." Harry replied to Liam. 

When he finally realized who was holding him, Niall froze. He looked up at Harry with wide, tear- filled eyes. 

"L-Liam!" The Irish boy stuttered. 

"Niall!" Liam replied in the same tone.

"Why?" 

"Why what? You need to explain more if you want me to understand." The puppy eyed boy said.

"H-Harry. Why is Har-ry h-here?" 

"You don't remember? You invited him over to watch a movie with us. You fell asleep in the middle of it." 

Niall looked down and thought for a moment. He can slightly remember watching Divergent with two people. That must have been Harry and Liam. 

Instead of answering, the anxious boy reached out to his best friend. Soon, the blonde was cuddled into Liam's side. 

"How about we put on a new movie? Hmm?" Liam questioned. 

Once Niall had nodded, the Payne boy opened Netflix on the tv. He clicked the play button on the remote and Stranger Things started playing.  

As the boys on the Tv started playing D&D, Niall couldn't help but let his mind wander. If anyone else had been over watching the movie with him and Liam, he probably would have freaked out way more. Why did he feel safe around Harry? Harry just had a comforting vibe. 

Niall turned and stuffed his face into Liam’s chest, inhaling his scent. You can tell a lot about a person from the way they smell. Liam smells like cinnamon and nutmeg; he can be really sweet, but other times he is really spicy. 

Even after all these years, Liam still had the same comforting smell. 

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“Niall! Sweetheart, I’m home!” A female voice shouted as the person walked into the house. 

The minute Niall heard the voice, he sprinted up to meet his mother. The blonde dove into his mothers awaiting arms and dug his chin into her warm neck. 

“Hi, baby. Did you have a good day?” Maura asked. 

“Y-yeah! I met a n-new person! His name is Harry. H-He’s here right now! I t-texted him, mum!” The young boy exclaimed. 

“You did?! Great job, Niall! I’m so proud of you. You’ve come so far. How about you introduce me to him?” Miss Horan congratulated. 

The two walked into the living room where Harry and Liam sat. 

“Mumma that’s Harry, Harry t-this is my ma.” The little Irish lad spoke. 

“Hello Harry! How are you, dear?” 

“I’m great! How are you Miss Horan?” Harold replied. 

“I’m good. Thankyou for hanging out with my boy. I’m really happy to see him make another friend. You are welcome to sleepover if Niall is okay with it. And please, call me Maura!” The woman insisted. 

“Ok Maura. Thankyou!” 

With that said, the short Irish woman walked into the kitchen to start making dinner for the boys. 

A/N I think I’m gonna do a character ask soon, so please start thinking of some questions.


End file.
